An extraordinary situation arose with one of the matches of the 1/64 finals of the Ukrainian Cup, in which Trostyanets from Sumy region was to host Real Pharma from Odesa.
The guests refused to go to the match because they were unable to solve the problem of moving from Odesa to Trostianets. This was stated by Real Farma director Serhiy Nedelkov.
"I want to say right away that we wanted and want to play the Ukrainian Cup match against Trostyanets. It doesn't matter where: in Trostyanets, Kyiv or anywhere else, but... Now I'll explain everything in detail so that after our conversation no one will even think of accusing us of not wanting to play with a team from Sumy region.
There is only one problem in this situation. Logistically, we simply cannot get to Trostyanets to play the game in this town.
Speaking about the day of the game (2 August), we can get to Kharkiv by train, but it arrives at 16:00, and the match is scheduled for 18:00. The distance from Kharkiv to Trostianets is not close - 130 kilometres. We could make it in two hours only if the roads were perfectly flat, and even then, not a fact. This is first of all.
Secondly, there is no train from Odesa to Kharkiv the day before the game, i.e. on 1 August, and it's not that we just don't want to leave a day earlier.
Someone might say: why not go by bus? Because we don't have a club bus, and the carriers don't want to go from Odesa to Trostianets for any money. And I understand them. The distance is almost 800 kilometres, many roads are broken, there are detours, mined areas...
But the most interesting thing about this whole situation is the following. As far as I know, the main thing in the draw was the territorial, regional principle. And now the question: Odesa and Trostianets - on what territorial principle are these cities located next to each other? How can we understand this at all?
During the draw, we had six teams in our basket: two teams from Sumy region - Victoria and Trostyanets, two teams from the southern region - VAST from Mykolaiv and us, Real Pharma, two teams from the capital region - Druzhba from Myrivka and Mariupol, which now plays its home games in Kyiv region.
I have no more cultural words, I'm boiling over! We could determine by voting who will be the host of the matches - and that's it! Teams from Sumy region play each other, we play with VAST, Druzhba plays with Mariupol. That's it!
Immediately after the draw, the next day, as soon as we understood all the problems of such an away game and calculated all the options, we wrote a letter to the UAF. We also addressed letters to the vice-president Oleh Protasov and the organiser of the draw Vyacheslav Daragan. We were told that nothing could be done.
The draw cannot be cancelled or revised, but given our situation, they offered us, let's say, a backup option - to play Trostyanets on a neutral pitch. In Kyiv, at the Bannikov Stadium. The UAF would cover all the costs: renting the stadium, the pitch, etc.
We agreed to this option, but Trostyanets did not. We did not communicate with Trostyanets one-on-one, they were contacted by UAF representatives. They did not hear us or did not want to hear us. Would they have heard our arguments?
How can we explain to them that we cannot get to their town, to Trostianets, properly? We can't go there for two days, stay there for two or three days, and then return to Odesa for another two days. It's nonsense! If Trostyanets doesn't want to play in Kyiv, then so be it. So be it. They don't want to, and we can't. We decided not to participate in this Cup of Ukraine," Nedelkov said.
